


The Pirate's Life

by bygoshbygolly



Category: Inda series - Sherwood Smith
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-04 23:14:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12781734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bygoshbygolly/pseuds/bygoshbygolly
Summary: Fox and Barend are survivors.Takes place on board Walic's ship.





	The Pirate's Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [malachibi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/malachibi/gifts).



Life on Walic's ship wasn't easy, not with the constant threat of torture parties or Coco's dubious favor hanging over their heads, but Fox managed. He had no desire to interact with the rest of the crew, so Walic couldn't suspect him of conspiring against him, and he never glanced in Coco's direction if he could. It helped, of course, everyone thought him stupid, and he did nothing to disabuse them of the notion.

Keep your head down, fight when ordered to, and don't question the captain. Dream all you like of mutiny, but never let it show. Fox knew the rules; they weren't so different from back home. Life under Walic wasn't better than life at Darchelde, but Fox in his bitterness didn't consider the two so vastly different.

–

Another ship, this one with better fighters than usual. Fox tore his way through the other crew, knives and feet whirling with deadly precision.

He caught a glimpse of a half-familiar triangular face, with large, ratlike front teeth. There was no mistaking those features- it was a Cassad. Something twisted in Fox's chest as he fought his way over. He owed his countrymen nothing, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to hear something, anything about home.

One of the fighting crew, Dal, got to the Cassad first, but luckily only subdued him instead of killing him. Fox thought he might have killed Dal himself otherwise, and if anyone from Walic's ship had seen, he'd find himself the subject of one of Walic's games.

 

Fox managed to get into the sorting crew, and shuffled behind the Cassad, who was making himself small and still.

“Act stupid,” he hissed into the Cassad's ear. “Act stupid if you want to survive.” The Cassad looked startled at the sound of Marlovan, but managed to make it appear as though Fox had jabbed him someplace tender. Good.

Fox snickered with the rest of the crew when the Cassad gave his name as 'Rat.' From what his mother had told him, few Cassads escaped that nickname. Nor did they seem to mind-- their features were a point of pride. Rat followed instructions well; he seemed neither reluctant nor overeager to become one of Walic's crew, and so he was welcomed without suspicion.

Fox took him below to get situated. 

“You're a Cassad,” he murmured without preamble.

“No points for guessing that,” agreed Rat easily. He kept his voice low, too. It was good to hear Marloven again, Fox thought. The warmth that blossomed in his chest at that was quickly doused by Rat's next words. “You're the Montredavan-An heir, aren't you? I heard you went missing a few years back. This is where you've been?”

“Not this whole time,” replied Fox. “Long enough.” Here he had been thinking himself so clever for recognizing a countryman, and Rat guessed who he was without anything so helpful as distinctive features. He continued, a mocking tone to his voice. “I didn't think anyone would miss me.”

“Most didn't.” Rat opened a hand as he spoke, the familiar gesture causing a wave of homesickness Fox immediately suppressed. “Your mother and sister did, though; I heard as much from my mother.”

There was that homesickness again, and guilt. Fox scowled. Rat must have sensed his mood, because he grimaced and changed the subject.

“My father was thrilled, though. One less threat to the throne.” 

“Ah, yes, mustn't let the precious Montrei-Vayirs get stabbed in the back,” Fox said sarcastically.

“Hey, that's my family you're talking about,” Rat protested. He didn't seem all that bothered by Fox's remark though. At his words, Fox's face went white and pinched.

“What?” his voice was low and dangerous. Rat looked wary. “I thought you said you were a Cassad.”

“I didn't, actually,” he pointed out. “You assumed. My mother's the Cassad. My father's the Sierandael.”

Fox's blood was boiling. He'd been so desperate for news of home, for a taste of familiarity on this thrice-damned pirate ship, that he'd gone and saved one of his worst enemies. He ground his teeth together, thinking. Rat watched him.

“Family names and histories don't mean anything at sea,” offered Rat. “Nor on this ship, I'm guessing. I'm just Rat and you're just Fox. Not Barend Montrei-Vayir and Savarend Montredavan-An.”

Barend. So that was his name. Fox chewed it over. It wouldn't do to kill Barend here and now; there'd be no point to it, and he'd never learn anything about home that way. Besides, he'd saved Barend's life; that was a good start to an alliance. If the two of them ever made it home, perhaps he could use that to his family's advantage; if they stayed at sea, well, it might be a nice change to have someone watching his back.

“I can't forget you're a Montrei-Vayir,” he said, finally. “But we can be Fox and Rat on-board this ship.” 

“Fair enough,” shrugged Barend- no, Rat. “Now, can you tell me what I need to know about Walic and the crew? I'd hate to get gutted my first day as a pirate.”

–

They spoke in snatches the next three years. It wouldn't do for Walic to think they were friendly; it would do even less for him to realize they conspired against him.

They both knew they could not take the ship by themselves. At any moment there were a half-dozen mutinies forming in the minds of the crew, and there were many who would cut Fox and Barend down as soon as Walic and Coco. They'd have to bide their time, listen, and hope for the right moment.

It was their only shot at freedom.

–

“Fox,” Barend hissed. Fox was awake and out of his hammock in a flash, teeth bared, knives in hand. Barend raised an eyebrow. “No need for knives. There's news.”

“What sort of news?” Fox's customary sardonic look was back in place. “Another torture party?”

“No,” replied Barend. “A bounty.” Fox looked unimpressed.

“So?”

“The bounty is for a Lord Indevan Algara-Vayir of Choraed-Elgaer. Sound familiar?” Fox went utterly still, and Barend grinned.

“Inda,” Fox breathed.

“Apparently Inda Elgar, scourge of pirates, is a fellow countryman,” Barend continued. “We should have put it together earlier, but who would expect a Marlovan, much less the son of a Marlovan prince, at sea?” He smiled wryly. “I'd heard he vanished, but never thought he'd be found again, in so unlikely a place.”

“I met him, once,” said Fox. Barend blinked in surprise. It was unusual for Fox to know anyone-- the conditions of his exile were designed to prevented such a thing. “He was on his way to your damned academy. Just a kid, but bright.”

“My cousin thought he was bright, too. Thought the sun shone out his backside,” Barend snorted, then winced. They didn't talk about family. Fox, however, didn't seem to have noticed, mind racing as a plan began to form. There were still too many variables for it to be clear, but one thing was certain--

“We need Inda.” He looked at Barend, eyes sharp. “We can't take this ship alone, but if the stories about Inda Elgar are true, then he might be able to help.”

“Right,” Barend replied. He could see Fox had a plan, and he was willing to go along if there was the chance they could be free of Walic. “What do we need to do?”

“First, tell me how big the bounty is.”

–

The plan went perfectly. _Inda's_ plan went perfectly. Fox was caught flat-footed, too blind to seize the moment, while Inda had thought of nearly everything, with far less time and planning.

And he had Barend's loyalty, too. Fox and Barend would never be family, and he didn't think of them precisely as friends, but Barend had been a constant and a reminder of home for three years, and the knowledge that his loyalty lay with Inda, and not Fox, stung. It stung even more that Fox knew Barend was right to place his loyalty with Inda.

Fox had to laugh at himself. There was no use in whining, especially when neither Inda nor Barend had done anything wrong. Indeed, the only person who'd done something wrong was Fox.

Well, he told himself. Lick your wounds if you must, but learn something from this. Watch Inda, and learn from him, and take action if there's a need. You're not alone anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Working title for this fic was "Fox and Rat Are Friends."
> 
> Happy Yuletide!


End file.
